By: Mason Chancey

It’s primary area of impact was on the southern plains.

Poor agricultural practices and years of sustained drought caused the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s lasted about a decade.

The grass lands in the Plains had been deeply plowed. As the drought got worse the farmers kept plowing and planting and nothing would grow.

The ground cover that held the soil in place was gone. When the wind would blow it caused dust storms.

Millions of acres of farmland became useless and hundreds of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes.

Many people especially in Kansas and Oklahoma fell ill and died. More than 500,000 people were left homeless and living in poverty.

1931 Severe drought hits the midwest and southern plains. Crops die and the “black blizzards” begin.

1932 The number of dust storms are increasing. 14 are reported this year. Next year there will be 38.

1933 Franklin D Roosevelt takes office. The emergency banking act of 1933 stabilized the banking industry and restored people’s faith in banks.

1934 The dust storms spread from the dust bowl area. The drought is the worst in U.S. history covering 75 percent of the country and affecting 27 states. 35 million acres of crop land is destroyed. 100 million acres have lost most of the topsoil. 25 million acres are rapidly losing topsoil.

1935 Drought relief service (DRS) is formed. DRS bought cattle from farmers who could not afford them. April 14, 1935 was black Sunday. That is the worst dust storm of the dust bowl.

The soil conservation act of 1935 was signed into law by president Franklin D Roosevelt on April 27, This law gave farmers money to plant grasses and trees to protect the soil from blowing away. By the spring of 1935, people began to die of what was called dust pneumonia.

1937 This year there were 134 dust storms. Roosevelt addresses the nation stating “the test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” “I see one-third of the nation ill-housed, ill-clad, and ill-nourished.” These people are living in poverty.

1938 Conservation methods resulted in a sixty-five percent reduction in the amount of soil blowing.

1939 In the fall the rain comes, bringing an end to the drought.

References Wikipedia English.illinois.edu